In comparison of a great number of others for which we are qualified; and which, as they are fo infinitely preferable to thefe, ought to be fo much the more earnestly fought! When, therefore, the whole term allowed for gaining and using them, is thus precarious and fhort, we can have but a very fall portion of it to difpofe of as we pleafeto pafs entirely as mere fancy or humour fuggefts. If much is to be done in a very fhort time, the good hufbandry of it must be confulted: and there is no one, who confiders what we, univerfally, may effect-in how many particulars we may be of fervice to ourfelves--how uch depends upon our endeavourshow neceffary they are for our attaining what should be most valued by us, what is of greatest confequence to us; there is, I tay, no one, who confiders these things, bat must admit, that we have much to do, and therefore, that the fcanty term we have for it ought to be carefully managed-can enly by a prudent management fuffice for the difpatch of fuch a task.

And our opportunities, for making at tainments thus defirable, should be so much the more diligently watched and readily embraced, as they meet with many unavoidable interruptions even in our short life. How great a part of our time is neceffay loft to us-is confumed by, that fhorter death, our fleep! We are really better conomists than ordinary in this inftance, if only a third part of our life thus paffes: and on the rest of it what a large demand made by our meals-by our juftifiable Recreationsby the forms and civilities, to which a proper correspondence with our fellow creatures obliges us? Add to these receflary deductions, the many cafual ones with which we all, unavoidably, meet, and it will foon appear, what an exceeding fmall part of our thort continuance on earth, we have to bestow on fuch purposes of liv. ing, as alone can be of credit to us.

We are further to reflect, that in the fmall part of our life, in which we can be employed like reasonable creatures, opportities, for doing what may be of great ft moment, do not always ferve us: and with fome of them, if loft we never again

meet.

We depend very much on things without us, and over which we have no fort of command. There may be an extraordinary advantage derived to us from them; but, if the frit offer of this be neglected, we may never have a fecond.

Nor is it only the dependarce we have on things without us, that requires us fo carefully to watch our opportunities: we have a ftill more awakening call, if poffible, to this from within ourselves from the reftraints to which the exercife of our pow ers is fubjected. We cannot use these when and as we please we cannot chule the time of life wherein to avail ourselves of our natural endowments, and to reap all the advantage defigned us in them.

When we are in our youth, our bodies eafily receive whatever mein or motion can recommend us: where is the found fo difficult, which our tongue cannot be then taught to exprefs? To what speed may our feet then be brought, and our hands to what dexterity? But if we are advanced to manhood before the forming us in any of thefe ways is attempted, all endeavour after it will then either be quite fruitless, or, probably, lefs fuccessful than it would have been in our earlier years; and whatever its fuccefs be, a much greater might have formerly been obtained with half the pains.

The very fame is it with our understand. ing, with our will and our paffions. There is a certain feafon when our minds may be enlarged when a vaft ftock of useful truths may be acquired when our pasfions will readily fubmit to the government of reafon-when right principles may be fo fixed in us, as to influence every important action of our future lives: but the feafon for this extends neither to the whole, nor to any confiderable length of our continuance upon earth; it is limited to a few years of our term; and, if throughout these we neglect it, error or ignorance are, according to the ordinary courfe of things, entailed upon us. Our will becomes our law our lufts gain a strength that we afterwards vainly oppofe-wrong inclinations become fo confirmed in us, that they defeat all our endeavours to correct them.

II. Let me proceed to confider what directions are furnished us for the employment of our time, by the relation we bear to each other.

Society is manifeftly upheld by a circulation of kindness: we are all of us, in fome

way or other, wanting affiftance, and in like manner, qualified to give it. None are in a state of independency on their fellow-creatures. The most flenderly endowed are not a mere burthen on their kind; even they can contribute their share to the

common good, and may be to the political body, what thofe parts of us, in which we leaft pride ourselves, are to the natural, not greatly indeed its ornaments, but much for its real ufe.

We learn what are july our natural claims, from this mutual dependency: that on its account, as well as for other reafons, our life is not to pafs in a round of pleasure or idleness, or according to the fuggeftions of mere humour and fancy, or in fordid or felfish pursuits.

There can be nothing more evidently my duty than that I fhould return the kindnefs I receive than that, if many are employed in promoting my intereft, I fhould be as intent on furthering theirs.

All men are by nature equal. Their common paffions and affections, their common infirmities, their common wants give fuch conftant remembrances of this equality, even to them who are moft difpofed to forget it, that they cannot, with all their endeavours, render themfelves wholly unmindful thereofthey cannot become infenfible, how unwilling foever they may be to confider, that their debt is as large as their demands that they owe to others, as much as they can reasonably expect from them.

But are all then upon a level-must thofe diftinctions be thrown down, which, being the chief fupport of the order and peace of fociety, are fuch of its happiness; and which nature herfelf may be judged to appoint, by the very difpofitions and abilities with which the forms us; qualifying fome for rule, and fitting fome for fubjection?

That, in many inftances, we are all upon a level, none can deny, who regard the materials of our bodies-the difeafes and pain to which we are fubject-our entrance into the world, the means of preferving us in it-the length of our continuance therein our paffage out of it. But then as it will not follow, that, because we are made of the fame materials are liable to the fame accidents and end, we, therefore, are the fame throughout; neither is it a juft conclufion, that, becaufe we are levelled in our dependence, we fhould be fo in our employments.

Superiority will remaindiftinctions will be preferved, though all of us muft ferve each other, while that fervice is differently performed.

Superiority has no fort of connection with idleness and ufeleffnefs: it may exempt us from the bodily fatigue of cur in

feriors, from their confinement and hardfhips-it may entitle fome to the deference and fubmiffion of thofe about them; but it by no means exempts any of us from all attention to the common good, from all endeavours to promote it-by no means does it entitle any of us to live, like fo many drones, on the industry of others, to reap all the benefit we can from them, and be of none to them.

The diftinétions of prince and fubjectnoble and vulgar-rich and poor, confift not in this, that the one has a great deal to do, and the other nothing-that the one must be always bufied, and the other may be always taking his pleasure, or enjoying his eafe. No, in this they confift, that these feveral perfons are differently bufied-affist each other in different ways.

The fovereign acquaints himself with the true ftate of his kingdom-directs the execution of its laws-provides for the exact adminiftration of justice-secures the properties of his people-preferves their peace. Thefe are his cares; and that they may be the more affured of fuccefs, and have their weight more eafily fupported, his commands find the readieft obedience-a large revenue is affigned him-the highest ho nours are paid him. It is not, in any ef thefe inftances, the man who is regarded, but the head of the community; and that for the benefit of the community-for the fecurity of its quiet, and the furtherance of its profperity.

The nobility have it their tafk, to qualify themselves for executing the more honourable and important offices of the com monwealth, and to execute thefe offices with diligence and fidelity. The very ftation, to which they are advanced, is fupposed either the recompence of great fervice done the public, or of the merit of an uncommon capacity to ferve it.

The richer members of the ftate, as they have all the helps that education can give them-as in their riper age they have all the opportunity they can with for to im prove upon thefe helps-as their circumitances exempt them from the temptations, to which poverty is expofed; to them is committed the discharge of thofe offices in the commonwealth, which are next to the higheft, and fometimes even of thefc-they either concur in making laws for the fociety, or are chiefly concerned in executing them-commerce, arts, fcience, liberty, virtue, whatever can be for the credit and peace-for the ease and profperity of a na

tion, depends on the part they act-on their conduct.

Let them be a fupine, indolent race, averie to rational inquiries-to all ferious application let it be their business to divert themselves, to give a loose to fancy and appetite-let all their schemes be thofe of felf-indulgence, and their life a round of vanity and fenfuality; fad must be the condition of the nation to which they belong! throughout it must be disorder and confufion-it must have the wort to fear from its more powerful neighbours.

And as, in all countries, they who are dif. tinguished by their rank or fortune, have thur poft, their duty, their talk for the common good-as to difcharge this requires mary accomplishments, the attainment of which is, matter of much attention and pains, requires an improved understanding, cominand of paffions, an integrity and refo. lation, which only can be preferved by an abitual ferioufnefs and reflection-as they cannot fail in their parts, cannot mifemploy eir leifure, and unfit themfelves for, or be regligent in the service appointed them, but teer country must suffer grievously in its of valuable interests; the diligence they ould ufe, the little time they have to trifle away is evident: it is most evident under what obligations they are, not to abandon themselves to merely animal gratifications, and the pleafures of fenfe-to floth and inactivity.

Nor is it only from the omiffion of what they ought to perform, that the public will in this cafe fuffer, but from the example trey fet. An infenfibility that they are to ive to any ufeful purpofes-a thoughtleff nefs of their having any thing to mind but their humour and liking-a grofs careleffrefs how their days país, cannot appear amongst thofe of higher rank, but the infection will fpread itself among thofe of a lower; thefe will defire to be as lazy and worthless as their fuperiors-to have the fame fhare of mirth and jollity-to be of as little confequence to the public.

That this will be the cafe, is as certain, as experience can make any thing. It has been, and is, every where, found, that where they, who have the wealth, and are therefore fuppofed, though very unreafonably, to have the fenfe of a nation, treat their time as of no account, only think of making it fubfervient to their exceffes, their vanity, or their sports; the fame wrong notions foon fpread among their

inferiors.

The populace, indeed, cannot be quite fo diffolute they cannot be fo immersed in floth and fenfuality, as the richer part of a nation, because their circumftances permit it not: their maintenance must cost them fome care and pains, but they will take as little as they can-they will, as far as is in their power, have their fill of what their betters teach them to be the comforts of life, the enjoyments proper for reasonable creatures--they cannot debauch themselves in the more elegant and expenfive ways, but they will in thofe which fuit their education and condition-they cannot be wholly ufelefs, but if they make themselves of any fervice, it fhall only be, because they are paid for it, because they cannot be fupported without it.

And how can we exect that things fhould be otherwife? It is not, upon the lowest computation, one in a hundred who forms his manners upon the principles of reafon. Example, cuftomaary practice govern us. And, as they, who are more efpecially dependent upon others, have it taught them, from their very infancy, to refpect thofe on whom they depend-to obferve them-to be directed by them; no wonder that they fhould be fond of imitating them, as far as their fituation admits; no wonder that they fhould copy their follies, fince that they can do moft eafily, and that most fuits their natural depravity.

But to him, whofe induftry is his fupport, I would obferve: he fhould not think, that, if they, who enjoy the plenty he wants, are prodigal of their time-misemploy it-wafte it; their abuse of it will at all excute bis. He cannot poffibly be igno rant how unfitting fuch a waste of time is -how much good it hinders-how much evil it occafions and how much a greater. fufferer he will be from it, than thofe who are in more plentiful circumstances.

And let it be confidered, by both high and low, rich and poor, that there can be nothing fo becoming them, there can be nothing that will give them fo folid, fo laiting a fatisfaction, as to be employed in ferving mankind-in furthering their happinefs. What thought can we entertain more honourable with refpect to God him felf, than that "his mercy is over all his "works"-that his goodness is continually difplaying itfelf through the whole extent of being-that the unthankful and the evil he not only forbears, but still feeks to awaken to a due acknowledgment of him-to a juft fense of their true intereft,

by perfevering in his kindness towards them, by continuing to them the bleffings they fo ill deferve?

And if the confideration of the univerfal Creator as thus acting be really that which makes him appear moft amiable to us which affects us with the most profound veneration of him, and chiefly renders it pleafing to us to contemplate his other perfections; what worth do we evidence, how highly do we recommend ourselves, when employed either in qualifying ourfelves for doing good, or in doing it,when we have the common advantage our conftant parfuit-when we feek for pleafure in making ourfelves of ufe, and feel happiness in the degree in which we communicate it?

III. What employment of our time the relation in which we ftand to God fuggefts to us, I am next to fhew.

Every one who reads this, I may juftly fuppofe fenfible that there is a nature fuperior to his own, and even poffeffed of the highest excellencies-that to it we owe our existence, owe the endowments, which place us at the head of all the creatures upon earth, owe whatever can make us defire to have our existence continued to us that by this fuperior nature alone, many of our wants can be fupplied-that on it we entirely depend-that from its favour the whole of our increafing happiness can be expected,

From what we thus know of God and ourselves, there muft arife certain duties towards him, the performance of which will have its demand on our time. His perfections require our highest veneration; this cannot be exercised or preserved withcut our serious attention to and recollection of them. His mercies demand our moft humble and grateful acknowledgments; proper acts of thanksgiving are therefore what we should be blameable to omit; they daily become us, and fhould be made with all the folemnity and fervour, that fuit the kindness vouchfafed us, and the majefty of him to whom we addrefs ourselves. A

due fenfe of our weakness and wants is a conftant admonition to us to look up to that Being whose power and goodness are infinite, and to cherish fuch difpofitions as are most likely to recommend us to him: hence it is evident what ftrefs we should lay upon those awful invocations of the divine interpofition in our favour, and upon that devout confeffion of our unworthiness of it, which have a natural tendency to keep the Deity prefent to our remembrance, and to purify our hearts.

Public acknowledgments of the goodnefs of God, and application for his bleffings, contribute to give a whole community fuitable apprehenfions of him; and thefe, if it be my duty to entertain, it is equally my duty to propagate; both as the regard I pay the divine excellencies is hereby fitly expreffed, and as the fame advantage, that I receive from fuch apprehenfions, will be received by all whom they affect in the fame manner with me. Hence it is clearly our duty to join in the public worship-to promote by our regular attendance upon it, a like regularity in others.

Thefe obfervations will, I hope, be thought fufficient proofs, that, from the relation we bear to God, a certain portion of our time is his claim-ought to be fet apart for meditation upon him, for prayer to him, and for fuch other exercife of our reafon as more immediately respects him, and fuits our obligations towards him.

Dean Bolton.

150. On the Employment of Time.

ESSAY THE THIRD.

Since all things are uncertain, favour yourself.' Where have I met with it? Whofefoever the advice is, it proceeds upon a fuppofition abfolutely falfe, That there is an uncertainty in all things: and were the fuppofition true, the inference would be wrong; did we allow, that there was such an uncertainty in all things, it would be wrongly concluded from thence, that we fhould favour ourselves.

First,

First, there is not the uncertainty here fuppofed. With regard to those things which call us to thoughts very different from that of favouring ourfelves-which fhould withdraw our attention from our own will, our own liking-which fuggeft to us quite other confiderations than of taking our eafe, and indulging our appetites-which should make the animal life the leaft of our concern-which thould render us only folicitous to purify ourselves, and be ufeful to our fellow-creatures; with regard to these things, I fay, we have either abfolute certainty, or the highest degree of probability.

To have produced fo much beauty and order, as every where discover themselves, intelligence was not only requifite, but great wildom and power. The beneficial effects naturally refulting from the things thus beautifully formed and orderly difpofed, menftrate the goodness, as well as the wildom and power of their author.

That the benefits he defigned, fhould conftantly take place, muft, as he is a good being, be agreeable to his will; and whatever hinders their taking effect, must be dif. agreeable to it.

We cannot have a furer mark of what pleafes him, than its being productive of ppinefs; and whatever has mifery accompanying it, carries with it the clearest reef of its difpleafing him.

A virtuous practice greatly furthering the happiness of mankind, must be pleafing their Maker; a vicious one muft difpleaje , as it neceffarily obstructs their hap. pinels.

If from any accidental indifpofition of things, as from the number of the criminal, virtue fhould bere mifs its reward, there is great likelihood that it will elsewhere receive it; and, if vice, by a like accideat, fhould, in particular inftances, not Carry with it thofe marks of its offending Le Governor of the world, which it in moft cafes bears, there is the higheft probability that it will have its punishment in fome future ftate. There is that probability in favour of virtue, not only from what our reasonings on the justice and goodness of God induce us to think it has to expect from him, but also from the vifible manrer in which he fignifies his approbation of 1. He has impreffed a fenfe of its worth on the minds of all mankind-he has made faction infeparable from a conformity 10 he has appointed many advantages,

in the ordinary courfe of things, its attendants: which feem concurring aljurances, that to whatsoever difadvantages it may now, occafionally expofe us, they will be at length fully recompenfed. And there is the probability I have mentioned, that the guilty will not be always without a punishment adequate to their crimes, not only from the apprehenfions we may fitly entertain of a just Governor of the universe; but, alfo, from the manner in which he, to the notice of all men, expreffes his abhorrence of vice: annexing to many crimes immediate inconveniences-giving others a very short respite from the feveret diftrefs, the painfulleft difeafes-allowing none to have our reafon and confcience on their fide, to be approved by us in our hours of ferioufnefs and calm reflection.

Virtue is, evidently, preferved and promoted by frequent confideration-by diligence and application by the denial of our appetites-by the restraint of our inclinations-by a conftant watchfulness over our paffions-by cherishing in ourfelves fentiments of humanity and benevolence. Vice is, as manifeftly, produced, and confirmed by inattention-by fupinenefs and careleffnefs-by favouring our appetites-by confulting rather what we are difpofed to, than what is best for us, rather what inclination, than what reafon fuggeits-by an attachment to the fatisfaction of the prefent moment, to our immediate profit or convenience-by adopting narrow, felfish principles.

Thus it will appear, that there is by no means an uncertainty in all things. Moft certain it is from whence virtue has its fecurity and improvement. Equally certain is it how we become bad, and how we are made worfe. Virtue has, in the nature of things, a reward of which it cannot be deprived, and vice as fure a punishment. All thofe accidents which obftruct either the advantages fuiting a virtuous practice, or the fufferings that a vicious one ought to feel, may fitly carry our thoughts to fome future ftate, when each will have its full defert from that Being, who has fo clearly expreffed as well his approbation of virtue, as his abhorrence of vice; and whofe goodness, wifdom and power, as they adrit of demonftration, fo they cannet but be believed to concur in beftowing thofe rewards and punishments, which will be most for the

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